I consider myself pretty athletic, so I thought I’d have no problems getting rid of the armadillo from my backyard. I’m on the track team at school and play on a regional basketball team, so I thought I’d have no problem running after the armadillo that’s been digging up our backyard, but I had no idea what I was up against!
At first, my Mom and I thought the armadillo was pretty cute. I know, it’s not like it’s a puppy dog or adorable bunny, but it’s still cute. When we first saw it, it waddled and hopped around in our backyard, snuffling everywhere in the grass. We took pictures and laughed as our cat chased it around and batted at its hard shell. Every now and then, when it got scared by the cat, it would jump straight up into the air.
We’re not laughing now, though. There are holes and burrows all over our backyard, it’s scratched up the lawn, the mulch we laid in landscaping areas has been thrown everywhere, and it’s even killed some of our garden plants. We didn’t make the connection with the armadillo at first. We thought maybe a dog was digging around in our yard, until we saw the den. The floorboards in our back patio had started to sag, and when I investigated, I found a pretty big burrow. When we finally put it all together, we realized we needed to find out how to get rid of armadillos quick, or we’d end up losing the patio, garden, yard, or worse. What if water got into the den up against our foundation? Not good, I’m sure!
So, one evening, I heard the armadillo’s shell rubbing up against the house. I put on my shoes and headed outside, determined to catch the thing. I approached it and reached out, and was surprised when it hopped out of my reach and took off scooting/hopping across the yard. Those suckers can move faster than I thought they could! But, I was on the run team, so I was sure it wasn’t a problem. Just as I caught up with it, it threw itself into a ninety degree angle and took off toward the neighbor’s house. I skidded, slipped, caught my balance and ran off after it again.
Soon, it was within my reach again, and I reached out. My right hand touched its armored back and my left hand just barely got its tail. I thought the chase was over, but then it bucked and kicked, and I shrieked and let go. It took off again, but I was done. Sheepishly, I looked around, hoping no one saw my clownish grabbing, running and yelping. Fortunatley, I didn’t see anyone, and resolved the best way to get rid of armadillos is to get a professional wildlife removal specialist. Let THEM run all over like idiots. Okay, they probably have the right equipment for it. As long as I don’t ever have to chase one around again!